She Had to Say Goodbye…... Twice
Sometimes you have to put the past completely away for eternity.
Quinn tore ass out of the bathroom giggling like a little girl. She jumped over the back of the couch landing right next to her husband. "Look! Look! We are going to be mommy and daddy!!!" She shoved the stick in his face. "Wait!! You mean serious this time?" He could hardly contain his joy. Tears trickled down from his eyes. They had so many false alarms. So many holidays of watching their friends with newborns, wishing it could have been them.
"How long have you been hiding your secret from me? I mean are we good solid really?” He grabbed the tissue box and blotted his eyes. He was ecstatic! "As far as I can tell maybe 10- 11 weeks? I’ll call the Dr. tomorrow," she replied joyfully! “I don’t want to tell anybody yet! Not even your mama. Or my mama for that matter!" he said.
Quinn was very close to her mama. The relationship had grown multitudes of just more than daughter and mama. They were soulmates, but Quinn knew the respect earned was truly unique. And although it surpassed boundaries, it was not to be without. It had been the two of them since an early age and they only had each other.
Month 4
They walked hand in hand into the ultrasound office. The receptionist gave them the paperwork to fill out and a short time later the technician came in.
"Hello. How are you smiling folks today?" She asked. Quinn spoke up. "We are over the moon!" "This is your first baby I see. Y’all hoping for a girl or a boy?" she asked. "We don’t care as long as the baby is healthy!" Aaron replied.
The technician turned down the lights and prepped Quinn for the wand. Outside the dark clouds started rolling in. The thunder and lightning came without warning. The white angel as bright as the lightning floated just above the clinic and came down hovering in front of the door. Her brilliant white dress rolled over her small frame. Her bright blond hair whistled with the wind. She had a tear in her eye knowing what was to come. The crack of the lightning bolt sucked her back into the clouds. only to be gone for a little while.
The wand started transmitting a heartbeat, double time. The technician looked again. Aaon and Quinn were giggling away, not realizing why the technician was getting anxious. They were just reeling from the body shots. "OK! " She exclaimed. Do multiples run in either of your families?”
You could hear a pin drop!
“Wait…multiples? YES YES! I’M A TWIN!!” Quinn screamed!
“Well then! I’m seeing two! Twins, they’re identical. And it’s two little girls!”
They literally jumped for joy! Quinn started crying. The technician started getting nervous. Aaron was choking back tears!
“Are ya’ll ok? Did I say something wrong,” she asked? “No, no it’s all good. Do they look healthy or uh….”
“Everything is great!” the technician replied. “Looks like September 14th! So happy for y’all. What a blessing!”
They walked outside and the sun was peeking through the clouds. It would be the rest of a beautiful day.
“What do you think of stopping by your mamas and my mamas on the way home?” Aaron asked.
“That sounds good,” Quinn replied, “Let’s stop in town first and pick up some pink flowers for them.”
Aaron knew this wasn’t going to be easy. He glanced over at Quinn, who now had the freshest set of tears trickling down her cheeks. He reached over for her hand. She glanced at him with those big, beautiful eyes that first attracted him. They were even more beautiful now he thought. The quiet wasn’t uncomfortable, it was just unspoken words. There was no reason to bring it up again. It was too heartbreaking.
Quinn’s mom was ecstatic and actually felt like she would pass out remembering the day they told her she was to have them too. She felt like she would faint.
“Mama! Sit down!”
“I’m good! I’m shocked! I’m so happy for y’all!” She replied. But she had to hide her tears not letting them see. She would have to face her past before the babies came. She needed closure and to come to terms with what had happened and needed to do it soon.
Outside it started to rain and thunder and lightning. With a big Crack! The angel floated from above and watched Madison outside of the sliding glass doors. She reached her hands out and slowly blew dust to her soul. All of a sudden Madison felt calm and peaceful and joyful.
She knew it would be OK.
Month 8
The trunk sat in the attic by the window so it’s memories inside would always see the sunshine beaming instead of darkness and despair. The angel now floated outside the window and smiled. She knew she would be gone soon as her destiny would be fulfilled. She watched Madison with a tear in her eye.
Madison slowly and carefully opened the lid. It was exactly how she left it. She reached in and pulled out the stack of newspaper clippings. She held her hand against her throat to stop from throwing up.
“I’ll take Qira to the Dr. What time 11:30am? Does the sitter know I’m coming,” Nick asked?
“Yes, I called her this morning. I’ll just take Quinn with me. I only have one house to show at 10am. Call me when you get there!” she said. And they both said their goodbyes. He kissed her on the cheek and walked out the door.
Nick picked Qira up at 11:15a. He quickly noticed something was off. The sitter replied that she noticed that too. Nick put the baby in her car seat and strapped her in. The dusky color of her lips caught his eye. She was gagging on her own vomit. Her eyes were glazed over. He realized something very bad was happening. He rushed to get to the hospital 10 minutes away.
Across town, Mike Sleege was leaving the bar he had been drinking at since leaving work at 7am. The frosty air outside didn’t faze him. He was too liquored up to care. He got in his pickup and it took 3 tries before the truck started. He laughed to himself. He pulled out on the highway barely missing another truck. He threw up his middle finger and cussed.
Nick tried calling his wife but there was no answer. He sped up in a hurry. The next street was met with a red light. He looked at his baby in the back seat. She was barely holding on to life. The light turned green…...
The force of the crash sent his car careening, wrapping it around the telephone pole. The pickup truck flipped and landed on its roof. Nick was smashed up between the passenger door and the pole. Mike Sleege crawled out of the window and looked over at the car which was starting to smoke.
A passerby stopped and went over to the car. He heard a faint whimper. A policeman came to a screeching halt and ran over to the car. Both men helped each other to get the baby out. The cop put the baby in his car as another pulled up to the site. They both looked at each other. The cop sped to the ER minutes away. He wrapped the baby in his arms and handed her to the physician at which time he flew down the hall and started working on her.
Back at the crash EMS worked feverishly to get Nick out. They carefully removed the roof of the car. The senior EMT tried to find a pulse and any other sign of life. He tried to pull him out, but his legs were crushed under the dash.
Madison looked at her watch. It was 12pm. She checked her phone and noticed a missed call from Nick.
Up ahead the police had the road blocked off to detour. She strained to look to see what was going on. All she saw was a long black car with the tailgate open. She barely saw the word Coroner in white. She said a prayer asking for peace and comfort for the family. In the dead silence, her phone rang.
Back at the scene, Mike Sleege was placed in handcuffs and read his rights as he was placed in the back seat of the squad car. His charges included DUI and Vehicular Homicide.
It started thundering and lightning with the storm clouds rolling in. With a huge crack the beautiful angel floated ever so gently to the ground. Nick was confused. He didn’t know what to do. She took his hand and the brilliance in her eyes made him rub his own. And then he knew.
Madison arrived with her parents at the hospital. Nick floated down the hall to the Chaplin's office. The brilliant angel put her arms around Madison causing her to look around, but no one but the Dr. and her parents were there. The comfort feeling stayed with her as the words came out of the Dr’s mouth. There was nothing they could do for her husband. He didn’t make it. She could barely breath and asked about her baby. Qira was on a ventilator. She could go see her but she’s in a medical coma. She was brain dead, but it wasn’t the accident that put her in that state.
Month 9
Her phone ringing snapped Madison back to reality. It was Quinn. All she heard was come now! She dropped the lid and dust blew up making her choke.
Quinn was at the hospital. They had to get the babies out. One of the girls was in distress. Aaron was putting on scrubs to go in the operating room with her.
The first baby was pulled out. She let a huge cry out! The Dr. quickly showed her to Quinn and Aaron. She was beautiful! They both busted out in tears. The Dr. pulled out the second baby. She was blue. He quickly handed her to the nurse, and she intubated her. They ran her to the Nicu. She was small and frail. Her lungs filled with mucous. The nurse suctioned her. They were losing her.
Madison stood outside looking through the window of the Nicu and tears filled her eyes. The memories of Qira came flashing back. She saw herself standing over her bed in the Nicu. The nurse had come over and even she was choked up. She put her arm around Madison.
“I’m so sorry! No one should have to go through this!” The nurse stared at Qira. How can someone do this. And for a minute she got mad! Shaken Baby Syndrome! If that sitter wasn’t in jail, she swore she would go find her and shake her till she turned blue and not save her life! Madison quickly snapped back to reality.
She couldn't take it anymore and passed out in the nurse’s arms. The smelling salt brought her back. She cried to the nurse and explained how she had to say goodbye twice to Nick and Qira all in the same day, and now the baby.
The nurse asked to take a break from her supervisor, and she agreed. The nurse took Madison by her arm, and they walked hand in hand. They headed for the exit and the nurse stopped for a minute and looked at her.
“I’m from South Carolina. We don’t hardly ever get snow there but it’s so beautiful here! There’s an old wives tale that says when you hear thunder in the winter, exactly seven days later, a big snowstorm is coming. And the first snowfall is very special. The twinkling sparkling white covers the ugliness underneath the ground from the past seasons. The best part is it makes everyone feel safe and well, and they say God shines the moon bright and shiny so everyone can go see the real beauty of the flakes falling.”
Madison opened the door and the whoosh of the wind blew her back a step. She felt a calming aura come over her. She held out her hands and the most beautiful flakes fell in her hands, and she lifted her hands up high. The nurse smiled brightly.
Madison turned to look at her. “I heard thunder a week ago. It surprised me because thunder doesn’t happen here in the winter!” And for a minute, she looked at the newness of everything around her and smiled. The icicles formed on the tree limbs, they looked like candy canes. She followed the nurse back through the door. When she went to follow the nurse, something came over her. The wind that felt fresh and new formed a mini swirl and blew right in through her. She looked back, but no one was there.
The beautiful, brilliant angel floated gracefully ahead of them. She floated above the baby with a smile that lit up the earth. She turned to look at Nick as he held up his hand to wave goodbye. The angel too had a tear in her eye. Her destiny was finished.
Time stood still in the Nicu. She turned and ever so gently picked up the little girl and held her tightly in her arms. Her hand spread the brilliance of her soul over her body. She placed the baby back down and floated above and around her. In a split second, she entered the little baby's body.
The nurse smiled and handed Madison a gown to put on and helped her tie it in the back. Madison turned around to say thank you, but she was gone! She feverishly looked around and around. She went to the supervisor and asked where she went. The supervisor was taken aback. She didn’t know who Madison was talking about. Madison was perplexed! Surely she wasn’t dreaming! Or was she? She shook her head contemplating if she was losing her mind. She went back out in the hall looking up and down, but the nurse wasn’t there either.
Nick took Qira’s hand and they leaned over the baby on each side of her face and kissed her. Qira’s bright silver name tag fell in the bed. And just like that, they were gone!
Madison ran back into the Nicu and went to the baby's bed. The name tag shone brightly in the light of the monitors. She picked it up and read the name, and then looked over her granddaughter.
The baby opened her eyes and smiled.